GRETNA – A St. Tammany Parish woman is suing a hospital for allegedly engaging in practices that caused her to contract a life threatening infection.

Janice Webb Prange, and husband Malvin Joseph Prange, filed suit against Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Ochsner Health System in the 24th Judicial District Court on Oct. 9. Prange claims she underwent surgery at the hospital on April 7, 2010 and in post-recovery a nurse dropped her open IV on the floor. The plaintiff alleges that instead of retrieving a sterile IV the nurse working for the defendant instead reused the newly contaminated IV. Prange asserts that the result of this alleged oversight by an Ochsner nurse resulted in her contracting staph infection.

The defendant is accused of failing to prevent the IV system from dropping on the floor, failing to prevent the IV system from coming apart and impairing its integrity, failing to prevent the IV system from becoming contaminated, failing to replace the IV system after its integrity was compromised, failing to follow applicable protocol and best practice standards, failing to properly train staff, failing to exercise a reasonably expected degree of care and failing to provide necessary personnel, equipment and procedures to provide proper care.

An unspecified amount in damages is sought for medical costs, physical pain and suffering and mental pain and suffering.

Prange is represented by Ernest A. Anderson of Anderson & Anderson (A Partnership of Law Corporations).